


Sugarfeet

by Missy



Category: The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.
Genre: Adventure, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Male-Female Friendship, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 22:19:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1099251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bowler escorts Dixie to a gig in Agua Caliente at Brisco's request - a mission he soon regrets, as the trip turns into one diversion after another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sugarfeet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fiddlingfrog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiddlingfrog/gifts).



> Written for FiddlingFrog for Yuletide 13!

“I don’t like that look, Brisco.”

Brisco had approached his best friend with a beer in hand and a grin on his face that was wider than the prairie. “Bowler my good man,” he said, hanging his arm around the other man’s shoulders, “I have a little proposition for you.”

Bowler shook him off and glared. “If it involves me 

“It’s got nothing to do with the Professor, America, or whatever Breakstone’s got cooked up for us,” said Brisco. 

“All right,” Bowler growled. “Spit it out.”

“Dix is going to be doing a show in Augua Caliente. Now, she’s said she can handle herself, but…”

“Oh, Brisco,” groused Bowler. “Miss Dixie could beat a bear with one hand tied behind her back. What good’m I gonna be for her?” 

“…I really want you to ride along as a distraction so I can head back to my hometown and get my mom’s old ring out of the bank.” Brisco grinned and wriggled his eyebrows. 

A split-second drifted between them before Bowler grinned and slapped Brisco’s back hard enough to make him spill a flood of beer down the front of his shirt. “So Miss Dixie’s finally gonna make an honest man outta you!”

“IF she’ll have me,” Brisco said, straightening his shirt. “Is that a yes?”

“Well – since you asked so nice,” Bowler grumbled.

Brisco just grinned. “I knew I could count on you,” he said.

Bowler rolled his eyes. “Buy me another round and we’ll talk about gratefulness.” 

**** 

Miss Dixie arrived at the train station with forty pounds of luggage and a beautiful Gibson Girl outfit. Bowler tipped his hat and smiled. “Miss Dixie.”

“Bowler,” she sighed, “I don’t know what Brisco’s been telling you about how I need some sort of guard but…”

“Don’t worry, Miss Dixie. I’m just here to make sure you get from place to place safely.”

She sighed. “That man of mine worries too much,” she smiled. “I don’t know what he thinks will happen, but as for me, I’m looking forward to a nice, quiet, long ride.” She followed Bowler him up off the platform, into the train and to the sleeping car. The ride was so blessedly uneventful that Bowler felt lucky.

That was when somebody pulled the brake.

Bowler found himself rolling across the floor and into Dixie’s rather expansive trunk before he regained his footing. By the time he made it out into the hall, he realized that Dixie had vanished; and that they were eighty miles down the road in Gallup. 

By the time he located Dixie, the train was ready to start rolling again. “There you are! I thought I’d lost you,” she admitted.

“Miss Dixie, whatt’re you doing?”

“Well, I had to cause a diversion, and I realized that there’s no better distraction than the train just stopping! Oh well, it doesn’t matter – it’s time to get off and head to Sugarfeets.”

“Sugarfeets!” Bowler gaped at her. “That’s the most notorious brothel in California….so I’ve heard,” he added, abashed.

“And that’s why I need to find Lizzie O’Grady and get her out of there before she ends up getting in over her head.”

“Who’s Lizzie O’….Dixie!” But Dixie had already disappeared around the corner and rushed out the door.

*** 

Four hours later, he was in full pancake makeup, stationed by the door of a brothel, posing as a woman named ‘Big Bertha’.

“How much long’re am I gonna have to wear this corset?” he muttered.

Dixie fixed her slip. “Oh hush. It’ll just be a few more minutes – soon as I get in to see Lizzie and bring her out!”

“All right, just hurry up,” he snapped. “My bloomers are killing me.”

Dixie disappeared into the back room, and Bowler found himself warding off the advances of a drunken cowpoke. A bit of hand-slapping was a necessity for survival.

And that was when he heard the first gunshot.

*** 

“What do you mean Lizzie didn’t want to be rescued?”

“Well, she’s a modern woman at heart, and she’s been earning a bundle of money. All the talking in the world wouldn’t convince her to leave town now. I should have guessed as much.” 

He and Dixie were on a steamboat to Agua Caliente, wearing borrowed circus costumes. She’d managed to snag the aerialist’s clothes, but he wore the mask and wardrobe of a clown.

“Better get there soon,” he muttered. “I’m dripping greasepaint all over the deck!”

“We will be!” Dixie said confidently. “As soon as we check in on her kids.”

“…WHAT?!”

***  


And so they did – by posing as nuns to blend in with the ladies living in the orphanage. Dixie spent a great deal of time with the children, then passed along a sweater Lizzie had knit the oldest boy. That done, they made their way toward Dixie’s theatre.

Bowler was thrilled, at this point, to be dealing with the typical letches who polluted her show. 

And he only bruised two of his knuckles urging them away from the stage.

Dixie helped him ice it later in the evening. “Have I thanked you yet for being such a good friend?”

“No,” Bowler glowered.

Dixie smiled, leaned forward, and gently pecked his cheek. “Thank you.”

Bowler grinned and chortled.

**** 

A week later, they were back in San Francisco, and Brisco was showing off his mother’s rock to Bowler. “You wouldn’t believe what I went through trying to get this,” he declared.

“Whatever happened,” Bowler declared gravely, “I believe it.”

“So how was your week?” 

Bowler shook his head. “Dixie has a heart of gold. And a mind to match.” But he was glad that Dixie was marrying Brisco.

And that he and Miss Dixie were the best of friends.

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction uses characters from **The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.** , all of whom are the property of the **Fox Network**. No money was gained from the writing of this fanfiction and all are used under the strictures of of the Berne Convention.


End file.
